Find out more about the current test of a clearer search bar and breadcrumb navigation, as part of a wider group of tests to improve the Tes Resources site for our users

Here at Tes Resources, we are always striving to make the site as effective and efficient as it can be for our users, so that they can quickly find the resources they need to teach great lessons. It's exciting to think about future changes to the site but in order to explore what is the best next step, we have to test a few variants and let the data tell us which is the most successful. We would only ever implement a permanent change if we find a new way of doing something that is significantly better than the original.

We know that change makes most people uneasy, so we're keen to share what we are working on and let you know when we have winning variants that will be changed permanently.

What does this test focus on?

To encourage more of our users to use search on Tes Resources while maintaining, and hopefully building upon, current conversion rates, we wanted this test to focus on two key areas: adding a search bar and breadcrumb navigation on hub pages, as well as a search bar on resource pages.

By displaying a search bar on hub pages and resource pages, this test looks at whether giving users clearer routes into search will help them to find the content they are looking for faster. On the hub pages, this design may help convert a browsing experience into a direct search. While on the resource pages, it may keep users in the site by offering a distinctive onward journey for their next resource.

The use of breadcrumb navigation on the hub pages should give users a clearer way to navigate from their phase through to the subject and topic. It also allows users to browse by all of the subjects, rather than only highlighting the most popular as it currently does.

What does it mean in practice?

As well as keeping a control version, which will not include the search bar or the breadcrumb navigation, we are testing one variation (this is also known as running an A/B test). We keep a very close eye on the tests as they run to make sure that nothing dramatic is happening. Currently, tests only happen on desktop.

You can have a look at the variation here:

Search and breadcrumb on hub pages

Search bar on resources pages

When will we know the results?

This test ran from 31st August to 3rd October. During this time, the data did not provide a clear winner so the control version will remain at this time.